At MAG, we believe that whenever and wherever wars happen, ordinary people should not be the ones who pay the price.

As Chief Executive of the UK’s only aid and development charity to have shared the Nobel Peace Prize, I am immensely proud of the difference MAG and our donors made directly to the lives of more than 1.4 million men, women and children in 2015.

The news that Mozambique has declared itself landmine-free is cause for celebration and a huge achievement. But we must acknowledge the tragic truth that much more needs to be done to make life safe for the thousands of people still living with these hidden killers in other countries.

We must not let minefields be forgotten. Whenever and wherever wars happen, innocent people should not be the ones who pay the price.

MAG initially became involved in the
destruction of small arms light weapons (SALW) informally during the 1990s.
This was through provision of technical support to UN-run DDR (disarmament,
demobilisation and reintegration) programmes in Angola and Cambodia, with
regard to assessment of the safety of weapons and ammunition handed in
and implementing their destruction.

In 2001, large abandoned stockpiles of
ammunition in southern Sudan, close to the borders of Uganda and the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC), came to MAG's attention whilst conducting
mine clearance activities in …

The legacy of conflict hinders the development
of a country after peace has been declared and the guns have fallen silent.
It has severe human and social consequences that affect both opportunities
and productivity.